


You Haven't Told Her?

by leatherandlace



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, also wren from fangirl is zelenas daughter, and also zelena and regina being besties, congrats to regina for coming out of the closet, the adorable idiots back at it again, we love you babe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-19 23:10:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5983765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leatherandlace/pseuds/leatherandlace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Zelena sets Regina up on a date, she is forced to tell Emma she's gay (spoiler alert: so is Emma).</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Haven't Told Her?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I still have so much support here, so I figured I'd upload something really long this time. Some things you should know: In my idealistic OUAT universe, both Hook and Robin are gone, and Zelena and Regina have gotten over their differences and are now besties. Everyone wins. Also, Zelena's daughter is named Wren in my universe. So, there's that. I worked really hard on this, so I really hope you guys enjoy it. (Also I'm sorry to anyone named Jamie Dunne.)
> 
> Leave a Comment and/or Kudos! Hope you like it!

**where zelena gives some sisterly advice.**

“You mean you  _ haven’t  _ told her yet?” Zelena balanced Wren on her hip to smack Regina’s shoulder. “Emma is your  _ best friend  _ and you haven’t told her you’re gay?”

  
  


Regina rubbed her shoulder dramatically, giving her a sideways glance. “It’s not as easy as you may think.” She stalked off and wondered why she had come to her sister out of all people for advice. Zelena made it very clear that she loved Emma to the ends of the Earth, and whenever Regina brought her up, the woman would smirk and take Emma’s side no matter what (“I’ve told you, sis, I approve of Emma,”—whatever that meant). But Zelena was  _ also _ the only person Regina had to rant to at the moment. Her other choice was Henry, and for some odd reason, she didn’t want to vent to her son about this particular matter (she could just  _ see  _ Henry grimacing).

 

“No offense, Regina, but what exactly do you think is going to happen? You never know, Emma might just be gay herself,” Zelena shrugged, half focused on Wren, who was starting to squirm out of her arms. She glanced at a picture frame on the mantelpiece next to her that Regina had put up a couple days ago. It showed Emma and Regina sitting at a booth at Granny’s, and Emma was looking at her like she normally did—all smiles and shining eyes. For an Evil Queen Regina was quite the idiot. “Scratch that, she’s  _ definitely  _ gay.”

 

Regina rolled her eyes, “I’m going to have to disagree, sis. And I don’t  _ know _ what’s going to happen, I just feel like she’s going to…hate me, I guess. I don’t know. It’s stupid.” Regina shook her head and pointedly ignored Zelena’s raised eyebrow.

 

“You’re right, it’s stupid. Never tell her. She’ll hate you.”

 

“Oh my  _ god _ , you’re insufferable.”

 

Zelena laughed, wrestling Wren to the other side of her hip, “Well then what else do you want me to say, Regina? It’ll be fine, stop worrying!” She looked at Wren, “Auntie’s crazy, Wrenny.”

  
  
  


“Auntie is not crazy, don’t listen to your mother. She’s the crazy one.” Regina kissed Wren on the nose, “And Auntie will tell Emma tonight.” Wren giggled and reached out towards Regina, but Zelena pulled away and continued her journey to the front door.

 

“Good. Let me know how it goes, okay?” Regina pecked her on the cheek and smoothed Wren’s hair. “Alright, I gotta go now.” Zelena pulled the door open and stepped halfway over the threshold before stopping. She looked at Regina with one of her new warm smiles, the smiles she’d been giving more and more ever since Wren was born. The smiles that made Regina want to cry, because finally,  _ finally _ she had a family. “Emma isn’t going to hate you because you’re gay, Regina. She’s your best friend.”

 

Regina gave a shaky breath and nodded. “We’ll see.”

 

**where regina drops the ball.**

She was going to tell her, she really was.

  
  


She had planned the whole thing, too. Regina had bought a bottle of white wine and was prepared to drink it with Emma at 8:30 in the study. They’d sit in front of the fire and talk about everything and nothing, just as they always did. And Regina would just come right out and say it.  “I’m gay.” And Emma was supposed to be surprised but then very accepting, and she’d give Regina a big hug and they’d get on with their life.

  
  


But as the white wine churned in her stomach and Emma was laughing about something Regina had just said, she just couldn’t summon the courage. The possibility of Emma not taking it well was something Regina couldn’t even bear, refused to bear. Emma was her best friend, her closest confidant, her partner in crime, her  _ family _ . When Regina felt like everything was falling apart, Emma showed up at her doorstep with root beer and salads (and Regina always drank the root beer, but she pretended not to like it). When nothing was going right and the world was against her, Emma was there to punch Robin in the face and to tell her mother to shut up. She was always there, and for her to not be was unthinkable. Could Regina risk losing Emma just to tell her a stupid little secret, even if it  _ was _ part of her? Certainly not.

  
  


“Regina?” Emma put a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie.

  
  


Regina practically spilled her wine. “What? Oh, yes, I agree.” Emma stared at her, puzzled.

 

“I didn’t ask anything…” Regina ducked her head, busying herself with her drink. She could feel her cheeks burning, “Are you okay?”

  
  


The woman just stared into the rim of her cup. If she was going to do it, she should do it now. Her stomach swirled inside of her, sending shivers up her spine. “I’m not feeling well. I’m sorry.”

 

_ Fuck. _

  
  


**where zelena characteristically meddles.**

 

Regina was in the middle of stirring a cake batter for Emma when Zelena burst through her front door, Wren in tow (she knew giving her a spare key was a mistake). She wore an expression with a mix of mischief and excitement—not necessarily a good thing when it came to Zelena. “Sis!” She yelled, setting Wren on the kitchen counter.

 

“Yes?” Regina kissed Wren’s forehead and smiled. Whatever Zelena was up to, it couldn’t be  _ that _ bad. It very well couldn’t be as bad as her last plan to incinerate all of the lettuce in Storybrooke, “because you need to boycott the salads, Gina.”

 

Zelena grabbed Regina’s hands and waved them around, her face lighting up with a huge smile (and as cute as that was, Regina was starting to get worried), “I set you up on a date!”

 

“ _ What?”  _ Regina ripped her hands from Zelena’s, eyes wide and mouth open. “Did I hear that right? What the hell, Zelena?”

 

Zelena nodded her head with a little smirk, “Yep, you heard right. It’s time for you to get off your lonely ass and go on a date. I’m tired of you being sulky and single.” Regina didn’t know whether or not to be livid. Zelena had a point, to be completely honest. Ever since that disaster of a relationship with Robin, Regina hadn’t done anything remotely romantic besides drunkenly make out with Tink at the Rabbit Hole two months ago. And that ended as soon as it began, so it didn’t really count. So, as mad as Regina was at Zelena for meddling, she couldn’t be  _ that  _ mad (and Zelena knew this, which is why she was smirking so defiantly). “Okay, fine, whatever. What poor soul did you pick to suffer along with me?”

 

Zelena rolled her eyes, “Well, Miss Sarcasm, I met a woman at the grocery store—“

 

“The grocery store? Are you setting me up with someone who wears Mom Jeans and drinks more wine than I do?”

 

Zelena slapped her shoulder and rolled her eyes yet again, “If you interrupt again I might have to pull a Camelot on you. And  _ no _ , she doesn’t wear Mom Jeans; she was wearing a nice skirt. Also, no one drinks more wine that you. Her name is Jamie Dunne. You’ll love her.” She put her hands on her hips and smiled the warm smile, proud of herself.

 

“Jamie Dunne. Sounds pleasant enough, but how did you get her to go on a date? Did you just go up to her and say, ‘Hey, go out with my sister, it’ll be fun.’”

 

Zelena shrugged. “Basically. I’ve been scoping around town for someone to set you up with,” Regina went to interrupt, but Zelena clamped her hand over her mouth and went on, “She was buying apples—yes, they were red, _calm_ _down_ —and I checked that off on the compatibility list. So I went up to her and we talked for a bit and I brought you up. It took a bit of coaxing, but she agreed.” She took her hand off of Regina’s mouth.

 

“God, this is so embarrassing.” Regina blew out a puff of air.

 

“That’s what big sisters are for.”

 

Regina paced a bit, returning to her cake batter. It couldn’t be that bad. Jamie sounded nice enough, from what little she heard of her. But then again, Zelena had a way of getting you to do, or think, something. Tonight she would Google search the hell out of her, and she had to invite Emma over to—

 

_ Emma. _

__

 

Oh God, what would she tell Emma? She couldn’t just  _ not _ tell Emma that she was having her first date since Robin. But she couldn’t just  _ not _ tell her that this date was a woman. Knowing Emma, she’d want to personally meet Jamie and interrogate her and give her an entire speech, and she’d want to be there for the whole Googling process, and help pick out the perfect combinations of jewelry and shoes and dresses. She had to tell her, there wasn’t any choice. And  _ God _ , wasn’t that just terrifying.

 

“Sis?” Zelena waved her hands in front of Regina’s face, “Are you alright? Listen, I know this isn’t your style and you like everything planned out and perfect, but I really don’t want you to have an anxiety attack over it. It will go absolutely fine, and if it doesn’t, then you know that you tried and you’re putting yourself out there. You simply can’t mope about Robin forever.”

 

Regina, who felt like she was going to throw up ever since Emma had entered the equation, thought she was going to cry at Zelena’s words. She was completely right, which made it a million times worse. This was so unlike her and it was freaking her out, and what would she do about Emma? “It’s not Robin, you know I got over him a long time ago. It’s Emma.”

 

“Emma?” Zelena furrowed her eyebrows, “What about her?”  _ It’s always about Emma. _

 

Regina looked down at her hands, painted red. She needed a recoat. “I never told her that I was gay, and she’d want to be here for my date, and I honestly have no idea what to do.” She put her head in her hands. Shit, she was  _ not _ going to break down right now. This was not happening.

 

But apparently it was, and as the tears started to well up despite her attempts at stopping them, Zelena pulled her into a hug, “I thought you told her?” Regina shook her head, her brown hair brushing against Zelena’s red. “Regina, it’s obviously killing you that you haven’t told her yet, and tonight is a perfect night. And sis, it’s Emma we’re talking about here, not Mom. She’s going to love you no matter what, and I know you know that. Don’t spiral this out of control.” Zelena had perfected the art of being a big sister along with the art of being a mother, and that meant being the voice of sense. And, yes, having sex with your sister’s boyfriend wasn’t very sensible, but they’ve grown from that, and things were all right now. Regina was her little sister, and Zelena was going to protect her. And if that meant knocking some sense into her, then so be it.

 

Regina pulled back, rubbing her arms and controlling herself. She nodded. “Okay, it’s time. I realize that. But I have a date now, and that means preparing, so when did you set it up?”

 

Zelena squirmed, brushing some hair behind her ear, “About that. It’s tonight at eight.”

 

“ _What?_ Oh my god. Oh my _god_! There’s so much to do, I have to start _right_ _now_. I—“ Regina was now officially freaking out, and Zelena grabbed her shoulder to stop her from literally darting out of the room.

 

“Hey, remember what I said like ten seconds ago about not spiraling things? Try taking a deep breath, Regina. Literally all you have to do is throw on a dress, maybe that blue one with the zipper, and put on some eyeliner. You already look like a model, so chill out.” They glared at each other for a couple seconds.

 

Regina broke eye contact and reached for the phone in her pocket, “I’m going to text Emma.”

 

**where secrets are told, and google searches are made.**

It was five o’clock, three hours before the dreaded moment when Jamie Dunne would walk up the cobblestone path leading up to Regina’s front door, and take her on a date to a fancy restaurant twenty minutes outside of Storybrooke (Zelena set up the location, and thank God she had the sense not to plan it at Granny’s). It was also ten minutes after Emma’s shift at the station, and she was running up the same cobblestone pathway with a bottle of wine and an air of determination.

 

Regina had texted Emma two words:  **SOS—Date!** Emma, being Emma, responded with:  **Don’t panic, I’ll be there ten minutes after my shift.** And she was uncharacteristically prompt, bursting through the front door and running straight up the stairs into Regina’s bedroom (because she knew she’d be there).

 

Regina was standing in front of her closet, a look of pure dread on her face. There were dozens of skirts and dresses and blouses strewn about the bed, floor, and on the dressers. “Oh, Emma, thank God you’re here.” She spun around, her eyes betraying the terror she was feeling (about Emma and the date, though Emma was worrying her quite a bit more).  Emma walked over to her and enveloped her in a tight hug, resting her chin on Regina’s head.

 

“Yes, as your official best friend, I am here for your first date in months. What have you done so far?” Emma pulled back and cupped Regina’s cheeks with her hands, rubbing her thumb in circles just below her right eye (little circles from her bottom lashes to her lip scar). Regina looked like she was either going to pass out or throw up, so Emma sat them down on her bed (she had to move a dark blue dress and a couple pairs of heels out of the way). “Actually, let’s backtrack. What’s more important than getting ready is how you’re feeling. How are you? Are you okay?”

 

Regina wiped the sweat off her palms onto her skirt (she sweats when she’s nervous). “Not so great, to be honest. I don’t know anything about this person, Zelena met… _ them _ at a grocery store and set me up, and I only learned about this today, so no, I’m feeling a bit stressed.” She could feel herself shaking every time she took a breath or moved. She could feel herself falling apart in Emma’s arms.

 

Emma frowned, grabbing Regina’s hands. She was shaking, too. Something about all of this—the date—felt wrong, and she had all day to think about it. Regina on a date with some gruff looking guy in a nice dress shirt seemed really off, for some reason. Someone getting to look at Regina in a beautiful dress, and tell her she looks beautiful. Her drinking wine and laughing, those eyelashes looking up and analyzing, someone asking her about herself and Henry. Someone walking up to the front door with flowers, or most likely without them, and putting a hand on the small of Regina’s back to guide her to whatever stupid car he owned. Him dropping her off (hopefully dropping her off, she didn’t even want to  _ think  _ about Regina—just, no) and smiling at her, stroking her cheek, touching her hair, kissing her.

 

It felt so  _ wrong _ . And Emma had no idea why she felt so bitter, so utterly upset by Regina going on a date with someone else—

 

_ Wait. Stop it right there, Swan. _

 

She was Regina’s best friend, and she had to be there for her. Never mind the best friend part, Emma would be there for no matter what terms they were on, period. Regina had spent enough time crying over Robin in her bed, spent enough boxes of tissue, and Emma had tried so hard to help Regina piece herself back together. She needed to be here for her now, no matter how odd she was feeling about all of it. “If you’re worried about not knowing this guy, then fear not, for you have a best friend who used to trail people for a living.” Regina was grimacing, and Emma corrected herself, “Of course, we won’t be actually, you know,  _ trailing  _ this person, but we will do a hell of a lot of Google searching.”

 

Regina finally spoke up. “On second thought, maybe some anonymity will do me some good. Let’s skip the Google part.” Maybe if Emma never Google searched Jamie, she wouldn’t even know that Jamie was a woman. Jamie was a unisex name, Regina could pull it off. This date probably wouldn’t have a follow-up…but what if it did? She couldn’t very well pretend Jamie was a man after the first date. Let’s face it, she probably couldn’t pull it off today.

 

“Well, you can stay as anonymous as you want, but I’m looking this dude up. No way I’m letting you go out with a possible murderer or something. Now, what’s his name?” She got up and marched to Regina’s computer, but not without a fight from the owner.

 

“Emma, if anything,  _ they  _ should be worried about  _ me _ . I’m the murderer, Em!” She tried pulling Emma back from the computer, but Emma was actually much stronger (so much for the Big Bad Evil Queen). “And I’m not telling you their name, so—“

 

“Regina, what is  _ up  _ with you?” Emma spun around to face her, putting their faces extremely close. Regina stepped back, trying to push down the queasiness that was building up. It was now or never. And she wasn’t going to be a coward like last time.

 

She closed her eyes. “Jamie Dunne.”

 

Emma let out a relieved sigh, but she was still concerned, “God, by the way you were acting, I thought he would be one of my exes.” She laughed, but Regina was standing stock still, eyes closed, waiting for the inevitable. Emma was typing the name into the Google search bar. Regina felt like she was going to throw up. “God, can you imagine  _ you  _ dating  _ Hook _ ?” She was fiddling around on the computer.

 

Regina was waiting.

 

“ _ Oh.” _

 

**where they both felt like idiots.**

 

Emma was patting Regina’s shoulder as she emptied everything in her stomach into her toilet. It wasn’t the first time they’ve been in this situation (Regina often had one too many drinks), so Emma was accustomed to holding Regina’s dark hair and rubbing soothing circles on her back. “I feel really bad that I’m the reason you’re throwing up.” Emma was on the verge of tears herself. Was she really  _ that  _ terrible?

 

She probably shouldn’t have stayed silent for a good five minutes after realizing Jamie was a woman, but she just couldn’t help it. She had never thought, not in a million, billion years, that Regina fucking Mills was gay. Of course, Regina watched gay shows and made out with Tink that one time, but she was drunk, and just because she watched Orange Is the New Black doesn't mean she’s gay. And, of course, she had wished it,  _ dreamed  _ about it, even. But other than a thought she pushed away whenever it arose, Regina being gay was something she never thought realistic. So seeing Jamie Dunne, a goddamn lucky woman, shocked her into silence.

 

Apparently this silence was very, excruciatingly worrying to Regina. She darted to the bathroom and emptied all the contents of her stomach into the toilet, leaving Emma feeling like the shittiest person to ever exist.

 

Regina was finishing up. “God, I look like an idiot. Don’t feel bad.” She dragged herself up, grabbing the washcloth Emma offered her. Could this night get any worse? Probably not. She’s losing her best friend and there’s nothing she can do about it, nothing she can do to stop Emma from hating her, from leaving her, just as her mother and Leopold and Daniel and everyone else did. “Listen, I know you don’t want to be here, so just leave.”

 

Emma recoiled; Regina might as well have stabbed her. “Are you kidding me?”

 

“Well what do you want me to do, Emma? Beg you for forgiveness?” Regina whirled around, her entire face red. “Because I won’t do that.” 

 

Emma reached out to her, but Regina snapped her hand back. “Regina, I’m not mad at you. If anything, I’m upset that you didn’t tell me sooner,” Regina was shaking, taking shallow breaths. “Regina, calm down. Please. Everything is okay,” She pulled her into an embrace, holding her tight enough that Emma was shaking too. And then Regina gave up her fights and slumped her shoulders.

 

“You don’t hate me?” Regina’s voice was so vulnerable, so stripped of everything that Emma couldn’t help but feel it deep in her bones. This was the voice she imagined Regina to have before she broke. 

 

If possible, Emma pulled Regina closer to her, cradling her head into the crook of her neck (almost like it was made just for her). “Quite the opposite. You’re my best friend,” Emma swallowed the lump in her throat, “I can’t imagine losing you.”

 

“I can’t either, Emma.” Regina let out something between a laugh and a sob.

 

“Besides,” Emma shrugged, “I’m gay, too.”

 

Regina pulled back at a speed faster than light. “You’re  _ what _ ? Oh my god, Zelena was  _ right _ ? How could  _ Zelena _ guess that you’re gay and  _ I _ couldn’t?” She was relieved for some reason. Emma liked women. Huh.

 

“To be fair, I wear a lot of flannel.” Emma shrugged, but something about Regina’s face was making everything bigger, better. Regina was smiling, actually smiling, the corners of her lips stretching upward and her eyes crinkling at the sides. There was something there, lik her eyes held the stars and the moon and the sky all at once.

 

“You really do wear a lot of flannel.”

  
  


**where jamie’s a total bitch**

 

It turns out Jamie Dunne was a thirty-eight year old biology teacher at Storybrooke High. She had a kid around Henry’s age, Lucas Dunne, a dark skinned boy with dark curls and a perpetual smile. She had dark brown hair in tight little coils, a wide smile, and olive skin that shined in any lighting. Frankly, she was beautiful, intelligent, a good mother, it seemed. There didn’t seem to be any downsides to her (Emma admitted this grudgingly).

 

Of course, this made Regina extremely apprehensive, but they went about the planning anyway.

 

Regina had settled on an emerald dress in tribute to Zelena, who made this dreadful night possible, and black everything else (other than a diamond necklace Emma had bought for her a couple months ago in Portland). It was 8:05, and Regina was in the middle of an emotional breakdown. “I’m being stood up, Emma. Emma, she’s not coming.” She was trying desperately not to cry; she had spent long enough perfecting her makeup, just to ruin it with some poorly timed tears.

 

“Regina, I’m at least fifteen minutes late to every function you plan for us.” Emma joked, but inside she was burning, a raging fire that was threatening to escape. If it were her, she’d have been here at 8:00 on the dot, plain and simple. Regina deserved nothing less.

 

A headlight made a path on the window, pulling closer to the house. “Thank God,” Regina whispered under her breath. She peered behind the curtain of the window and watched the tasteful Volvo pull into her driveway. Emma ambled a bit, her hands in her pockets. She felt as she needed to say something, anything.

 

“Be careful, Regina. If you need anything, call me. I’ll be here all night in case Henry needs to be picked up from his friend’s house, and in case you need me to pick you up. Just be careful, okay?” Emma felt as though she was coming undone, as though there wa a ribbon that held her together was unraveling. This didn’t feel right. None of this felt right. A growing part of her wanted to march outside and punch this Jamie Dunne square in the face.

 

Regina rolled her eyes. “Calm down, Emma. Everything will be fine.” She had to smile, though, because Regina felt as though she was coming undone, too. Iron fists were closing around her stomach, her esophagus, her eyes.

 

“I’ll be in the kitchen.” Emma strode out of the foyer. If she were going on a date, she wouldn’t want to see another (extremely attractive) woman behind her (also extremely attractive) date.

  
  


She pretended not to notice the pain in Regina’s eyes.

  
  


“I’m just going to head out.” Regina mumbled to herself, pulling open the door in one swift motion. She plastered on a crimson painted smile, twisting her countenance. She imagined how she must look right now, put together and confident and beautiful, when inside it felt like she was a bonfire, burning and burning and burning. Jamie Dunne stepped out of her silver car, letting herself be led out of its shadow. A pointed heel, a toned leg, deep red skirt, black blouse, sloped neck. She was as beautiful as Google made it seem, if not more.

  
  


Yet for some reason, Regina didn’t notice.

  
  


Jamie Dunne was striding up the cobblestone pathway just as planned, but there was a noticeable absence of a smile. In fact, she was frowning. Regina stuck her hand out anyway. “Hi, I’m Regi—“

  
  


“Yeah, I know who you are.” Jamie cut her off in a sharp tone. Of course she knew who she was, but still, if they were going on a date, Regina wouldn’t tolerate being spoken to like that.

  
  


It was as if Jamie read her mind. “I’m canceling our date.”

  
  


“ _ What _ ?” Regina blanched. “Why?” This couldn’t be happening, this was a figment of her anxiety-ridden imagination, this was a dream.

  
  


Jamie rolled her dark brown eyes, and the bonfire flamed up inside. “I think you know  _ exactly _ why, Your Majesty.” She snarled, and  _ hell  _ no this was not happening.

  
  


“You listen up, Miss Dunne. I will  _ not  _ tolerate you strolling up my driveway with your cheap heels and doing this. If you’re going to cancel, then just be on your way.” Regina gestured back to the car, pulling her features tight across her face.

  
  


Jamie laughed cruelly (too cruel for a biology teacher), “ _ Exactly _ what I was expecting. Did your sister really think that I’d go on a date with the Evil Queen?” And with that, she walked coolly back to her pretentious car with that pretentious smile, leaving Regina to stand on the cobblestone pathway, seething. 

  
  


As the engine started, and Jamie sped away, the bonfire inside of her spilled out, painting the world red. She was going to look like such a fool, marching back into her house with Emma still there. What was she going to say?  _ Yeah, my date canceled because I’m an evil bitch who clearly doesn’t deserve anything. _

  
  


Regina walked up the cobblestone pathway, determined to look okay. She pulled the door open and shut it as quietly and quickly as possible, took her heels off, and ran up the stairs before Emma could come out of the kitchen to interrogate her (because she undoubtedly would). Her bedroom was salvation in her mind, and when she reached her it she shut the door with finality. Hopefully, the bang that resounded throughout the entirety of 108 Mifflin was enough to tell the message that she didn’t want to be bothered.

  
  


But Emma was Emma. Regina could hear the repeated sound of Emma’s fuzzy sock clad feet running up the staircase. “Regina?” Her voice was dripping with concern, and Regina had to pinch the bridge of her nose to keep from crying. She hadn’t started to sob yet, so maybe she could postpone it until Emma left. “Regina, to tell you the truth, I was listening through the window in the kitchen. Please don’t let yourself get worked up over this woman, she’s  _ nothing _ compared to you. She doesn’t know how…just, straight up amazing you are. She doesn’t know.” Regina kept her body still while listening, staring up at the ceiling and trying to soak in Emma’s words. Jamie  _ didn’t _ know, that’s true, but did she have to? She was completely right. She was the Evil Queen at her core, no matter how much she tried to change. Her magic still buzzed at her fingertips without her wanting it to, she still wanted to throttle Snow sometimes. She sometimes felt as the only explanation was to set the world ablaze.

  
  


“Regina, are you even listening?” No answer. “Well, I’m not leaving, because I know you’re probably sitting in your bed of self loathing, and I’m not leaving until you get up and come out here and give me a hug.” Regina squeezed her eyes shut. She just needed a moment to collect herself. Her door creaked, probably Emma leaning against it. It was so silent, she could hear the whir of cars outside and the crickets chirping outside of her window, and then a sigh from Emma. The sound of Emma pattering down the stairs, and then coming back up again. The sound of her door opening, something sliding into her bedroom, and then the creak of her door shutting again.

  
  


She turned around and opened her eyes, and once the black spots settled around her, she saw what Emma had slid into her room: a plate of brownies. Regina had to laugh, because who else but Emma freaking Swan would do that?

  
  


Regina swung her legs off of the bed, pushing herself up and walking towards the plate. She bent over to pick it up and saw that there was a small slip of paper attached, depicting a note written in purple ink:  _ I’m waiting.  _ Regina smiled to herself. Only Emma. The plate in one hand, she pulled the door open to find Emma sitting against the wall across her door, her legs pulled up and her chin resting on her knees. Emma looked up at her and smiled, a small smile that somehow held so much emotion, a smile that seemed to quell the bonfire inside Regina.    

  
  


And then something clicked.

 

Of  _ course  _ it’d be Emma.

 

It was always Emma. Emma was the one that believed her throughout everything, the one who stuck by her when it felt like the world was crashing down. She was the one that lit this goddamned bonfire inside of her that day she first arrived in Storybrooke, the one that made her  _ feel  _ again, no matter how terrible or wonderful it was. Emma was the one she’d spent these past years building a relationship with, tentatively and then full on. They’d laughed together, cried together, been everything and nothing together, and here she was crying about Jamie Dunne when this wonderful, adorable idiot was sitting right in front of her, smiling and eating a brownie.

 

“Hey.” Emma said through a bite.

 

Regina found herself smiling. “Hey.” She sat down next to Emma, their shoulders pressing together, the plate of brownies on Regina’s lap.

 

“I wasn’t joking before, Regina,” Emma turned towards her, putting down her brownie and setting the plate on the floor behind her. “Yes, you were the Evil Queen, but that’s in the past. You are Regina Mills, and you are wonderful, you are crazy beautiful and so sweet and caring that I can’t even deal with it sometimes. You’re the best mom in the entire world, and I honestly am not exaggerating. You put everyone before you, and you run a town like a boss, and you  _ are  _ a queen. You’re mine and Henry’s queen, but you’re  _ especially _ my queen. I don’t know what’d I do without you, I don’t know what the hell I was doing before you. You’re my family.”  Regina wasn’t meeting her eyes, but every word was like an ember in the fire, spiraling beautifully into her eyes, the room engulfed in beautiful flames. “You’re my everything.”

 

And Regina was leaning in and grabbing Emma’s neck and kissing her, kissing her hard and soft, kissing because this was the thing that she had wanted, had needed, for so long. Emma drew back and rested her forehead on Regina’s, her breaths coming out in little puffs that fanned out over Regina’s cheeks. “How was that for cheering you up?” They were both smiling like the idiots they were, and Regina laughed.

 

“It was pretty wonderful, thank you.” She turned her head and leaned on Emma’s shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of leather and some underlying scent, something unidentifiable. It kind of smelled like home.

 

Emma grabbed Regina’s hand out of her lap and held it, reveling in the beauty of this moment. After everything, here they were, sitting on the floor of Regina’s hallway next to a plate of brownies, finally together.

 

Finally, finally together.

 


End file.
